Sheet-delivery device



Aug. 3 1926.

' E. L. SMITH E1 AL sass? DELIVERY DEVICE Filed bet. 9. 1929 2 sheets-sheet z Q g I AT roRNEYs.

7 l VENTOR I J Q I ??M m by the pressure feed-member.

Patented Aug. 3, 1926.

UNETED STATES 1,594,637 PATENT orrice."

ELMER L. SMITH AND FREDERIC B. FULLER, SPRINGFIELD, lVIASSASCHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS T0 PACKAGE MACHINERY COMIANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHU- SETTS, A. CORPORATION" OF MASSACHUSETTS.

SHEET-DELIVERY DEVICE.

Application filed October 9, 1920. Serial No. 415,823.

This invention relates to improvements in sheet-delivery devices or sheet-feeding mechanism. The device to be hereinafter de scribed, while capable of general application for the purpose of feeding paper in the form of separate sheets such as in connection with printing machinery or the like, is particularly applicable for use in connection with wrapping machines, where it is desired to deliver or feed sheets ofpaper successively from a stack and in a timed relation with such wrapping mechanism.

Devices of this character necessarily are required to operate at high speeds, that is, deliver sheets in rapid succession, and to facilitate this rapid operation, I have eliminated the reciprocating mechanisms commonly used in machines of this character and thereby provide a device that may be operated at a maximum of speed.

One object of this invention is to provide a device that will deliver sheets successively from a stack of sheets, in a timed relation with a machine with which the device is used.

In the present. embodiment the sheet-feed-- ing member frictionally engages the top sheet to be removed, and one object of the invention is to provide a device that will automatically increase this frictional grip upon the sheet in accordance with the resistance offered by the sheet to its removal. Experience has shown that all the sheets of paper are not removed with equal facility from the top of a stack, and heretofore the practice has been to permanently adjust the pressure of the. frictionally-engaging feedmember so that it will positively remove the most reluctant sheet. This often results in disturbing the evenness of the stack or in removing more than one sheet at a time when easily moved sheets are encountered To avoid this objection, the present device is designed so that the frictional pressure of the feed member will be only sufficient to remove the easily moved sheets, and said pressure will be automatically increased by thereluctance of any sheet which sticks or otherwise resists the feeding action of the pressure member.

In sheet delivery mechanisms where cut sheets are to be delivered successively from the top of a stack it has been customary to provide control mechanism for determining when the top of the stack has dropped below a predetermined level and for thereupon operating ratchet or other feed mechae nism for elevating the stack-supporting means to restore the top of the stack to normal elevation within the field of operations of the delivery mechanism. This control mechanism commonly comprised! a crank arm or other memberfor operating the platform elevating means and a detector member in engagement with the top of the stack and I periodically reciprocated back and forth in adjacent relation to, said crank arm. Normally the detector member is so positioned by the stack that it will miss engagement with crank arm as it reciprocates but the arrangement is such tha when the top of the stack has dropped below a predetermined level a portion of the detector memher will be moved into position to engage the crank arm so that it may operate the latter to elevate the platform.

I-Ieretofore the cooperating crank arm and detector member, above referred to, have each been provided withknife edge contacting portions which engage one another to effect the desired actuation of the platform elevating means. An example of such a mechanism for controlling the actuation of the platform elevating means may be found in the patent to Felipe Giroud, No. 1,138,633, dated March 30, 1915. The knife edge contact above referred to isdesigned to provide for a fine adjustment of the time the actuation of the platform elevating means shall take place but it has proved to be objectionable on account of the tendency of the contacting knife. edges to become worn and blunted in use so that the device will cease to function in a positive and relie able manner.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device in which the stack-elevating mechanism is actuated by a positively-operated mechanism associated with the sheet-feeding mechanism, whereby the top of the stack will be maintained accurately and reliably within predetermined limits, and always in position to present the top sheet to the sheet feed--member.

In carrying out this object the use of knife edge contacting portions on the detec tor and the operating member which is enation of the platform elevatingmeans.

Other obj ects of the invention relate to the provision .of a simple and eflicient mechanism of this characterv possessing novel structural details and improved combinations of elements, as will more fullyappear in the detailed description to follow.

In the drawings j Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a parital sectionon the line 3&3

of Fig. 2;

Figs. 4, a, and 5 are diagrammaticai views of the feeding mechanism in different operative positions; and j Figs. 6, 7 and Sara diagrammatical views of the limiting means for the elevating platform.

' 1 represents the bed-plate of the machine, to which the sheet-delivering device may be attached, and in this case, for descriptive purposes, assume it to be a wrappingma chine. Side frames 2 and 3, similar in contour, are secured to the bed 1 by bolts 4 and are held in a rigid spaced relation by the spac ing rods 5. The cap-screws 6 in engagement with these rods 5clamp the rods to the side frames and retain them in alignment.

A platform 7 which is adapted to support a stack of sheets is provided at its forward end with a vertical guide-plate 8 to hold the stack from displacement endwise upon the table. Side guide-plates 9 and 10 secured to the table are preferably spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the width of the sheets. These plates 9 and 10, together with the end guide 8, hold the sheets in an even stack throughout the height of the stack.

Supporting members 11 and 12 are slid ably mounted in suitable'bearings 13 of the side frames 2 and 3 and are pinned or otherwise fixedly secured in the bosses 13' of the platform. 7. The upper end of the supporting members 11 and 12 are provided with teeth cut in one sidethereof which are adapted to be engaged by the pinions 14; .(seeFig. 1). These pinions 14 are keyed or otherwise fixed to the shaft 15,

which is mounted in suitable bearings of the side frames 2 and 3 and adapted for a rotative movement. Rotation of the shaft 15 will impart a vertical movement to the later appear.

supporting members 11 and 12 and will raise or lower the said platform depending upoiithe direction of rotation of said shaft. A hand-wheel h is secured to this shaft 15 by means of which the platform may be raised or. lowered for adjusting the height of the sheet, st-ack relative to the sheetremoving mechanism, as will later appear. A-ratchet-wheel 16 is fixed to the shaft and has projecting from its inner face, stop-pin 17. A tumbler 18 and lever 19 are mounted loosely upon the shaft 15 and are held from longitudinal displacement the'reonby the collar 22 which is fixed to the shaft. The tumbler is rovided with a radial projection 20 for engaging with the the boss 19" of the lever 19 .and also has a shoulder portion 21 which lies in the plane of the stop-pin 17 of the ratchetwheel 16.

The lever 19 which is mounted for osciL lating movement upon the shaft 15 carries at its upper end a pawl 22' pivoted there on {it-23; his pawl normally lies against the ratchet 16 and is adapted to engage the the teeth thereon- A pin 2-1 is carried by the pawl 22 and provides a means for manually swinging the pawl out of operative engagement with the ratchet-wheel 16. Thelever 19, as shown in Fig. 2, is provided with an offset portion and carries a cam-roll 25 adapted to engage the elevating cam 27. A stud 26 is secured to and extends from the inner side of the lever 19 and adapted to be engaged by the control mechanism, as will A holding pawl 28 pivotal'ly secured to the side frame 2 is adapted'to engage the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 16 and serves to hold the wheel from a clockwise rotation and thus prevents descent of thestack-sup porting platform. This pawl 28 is also provided with a projecting pin 29 to facilitate the pawl being moved manually from hold 111;; engagement with the said ratchet-16.

-By reference to Fig. 1, it will be seen that a counter-clocl'zwise oscillation of the lever 19, when the pawl 22 engages the ratchet, will cause the platform? to be elevated and that the teeth of the ratchet 16 are successively engaged by the holding pawl 28 to prevent a downward movement of the platform.

,The step-by-step rotation of the ratchet 16, and the consequent elevational movem-ent of the platform 7, is determined by the angular movement of the lever 19. The movement of the lever .19 is controlled by the feed mechanism at such times as it becomes necessary to adjust the top of the stack of sheets to compensate for the removal of paper sheets.

- The platform 7, which is raised to compensatefor the removal of sheets, gradually assumes its uppermost position, and when within a predetermined distance from the ]')21P8l-St111)1)81 mechanism, it is desirable that the elevating mechanism be rendered temporarily inoperative. This is accomplished by the pin 17 engaging the shoulder 21 of the tumbler and the projection of the tumbler abutting the boss 19 of the lever. When in this abutting relation, see Fig. 7, the ratchet-wheel, on commencing a further counterclockwise rotation, will swing the lever 19 from operative engagement with the actuating means. Upon lowering the platform 7 to receive a new stack of sheets, the ratchet 16 will be rotated clockwise by the connecting mechanism until the pin 17 engages the opposite side of shoulder 2t) and carries said tumbler to its initial position, as shown. in Fig. 8, which cor responds to the lowermost position of the platform 7. It will be observed that the ratchet 16 will turn substantially through two revolutions to carry the tumbler from the position shown in Fig. 8 to that shown in Fig. 7, which will be sufficient to elevate the platform to the uppermost position.

The paper stripper or feeding mechanism removes the top or uppermost sheet from the stack of sheets and it is desired that the underlying sheets be held from displace ment during the feeding of the top sheet. To accomplish this, a needle pick 31 is provided which is adapted to enter several of the sheets adjacent their rear marginal edges. A bracket 32 is adjustably secured to the tic-rod 5 and carries in an adjustable relation therewith a longitudinal rod Mounted upon the rod 33 and adjustably secured thereto is a bracket 34 which is provided with an upwardly-projecting arm 35. A lever 36 pivotally mounted upon the bracket 34 carries the needlepick 31 on its forward end and is provided with a notch 37 at its rear end for engaging a tension spring 38. A set-screw 39, in threaded engagement with the bracket 34, has its end in abutting engagement with the lever 36 and limits the downward thrust of the needle 31 in contact with the paper sheets. The spring 38 which engages the notch 37 of the lever 36 is secured at its upper end to a pin 40 which is adjustably' mounted in the arm 35. A set-screw 41 in the arm retains the pin in its adjusted position, which adjustment varies the pressure of the needle against the stack of sheets. The forward end of the longitudinal rod is provided with the fiat bearing portion 42, for a purpose which will later appear.

The sheet-feeding mechanism will now be described: A driving-shaft 45 supported in suitable bearings in the side frames 2 and 3 is provided at one end with tight and loose driving-pulleys 46 which may be driven by a belt from the machine with which the device is used. A spur driving-gear 47 is fixed to the shaft 45 and a feeding spool or feed disks 48 (Fig. 3) also is secured thereto intermediate the bearings. A collar 49 is fixed to this shaft 45 adjacent the outer face of the side frame 3, to preventa. longitudinal movement of the said shaft. A counter shaft 50 also supported in suitable bearings of the side-frames 2 and 3, has fixed to its end a gear 51 which is in meshing engagement with the gear 47 of the driving-shaft 45.

A cam 27 fixed to the shaft 50 is adapted to engage the roll 25 of the lever 19 to effect an oscillating movement of the lever. A feeding-spool 52 is secured to the shaft 50 intermediate its endsand is in cooperative engagement with the spool 48 of the shaft 45. These spools 48 and 52 may be provided with rims or disk flanges of resilient material, such as rubber or other suitable material, to firmly grasp and feed therebetween the sheets that are fed from the stack.

A cross-rod support 53 extends between the side-frames 2 and 3 and is held from movement by a set-screw 54. Channelguides 55 adapted to support the sheets as they are fed from the stack are provided with hearing members 56 depending therefrom which embrace the support 53. These members 56 are mounted loosely upon .the- L support 53 for relative movement thereon, and set-screws are provided to permit the guides 55 being adjusted to accommodate sheets of various widths.

The sheet-stripping or feeding mechanism will now be described. A bracket 60 pivotally mounted upon the shaft 50 is provided with a control-extension 61. A set-screw 62 is in threaded engagement with the extension 61 and is adapted to abut the stud 26 of the lever 19. A lock-nut 62 embracing the set-screw 62 secures the screw,

in its various adjusted positions. This bracket 60 is further provided with a bearing-boss 63 (see Fig. 2) extending therefrom and parallel with its pivotal axis. The outer end of the bearing-boss has extending therefrom the nose 64 which is adapted to engage the abutment 42 ofthe rod 33, and limit the downward movement of the bracket 60. A stud 65 secured to the bracket 60 carries an idler-gear 66, which is in meshing engagement with a drivinggear 67 fixed'to the shaft 50, as will be seen in Figs. 1 and 2. A shaft 68 rotatably mounted in the bearing-boss 63 of the lever 60 has fixed to its end a gear 69, which gear meshes with and is driven by the idler-gear 66. A collar 70 fixed to the shaft 68 prevents longitudinal movement of the shaft, and the shaft has secured to the opposite end thereof and substantially in line with the pick 31 a stripping member 71. This stripping member 71, being preferably in the form of a segment, has an outer surface of resilient material, such as rubber or the like, for engagement with the top sheet of the stack which, during its rotation, will engage to feed or remove the top sheet from the stack. The are of contact of the segment may be of any suitable length, but it is desirable that it be suliicient only in length to feed the sheet from the stack and into en gagement with the spools 48 and 52, which spools will complete the further forward movement of the sheet.

A tension-spring 72 having any suitable means for adjusting its tensio'n connects the bracket 60 and lever 19, and acts to determine the normal pressure of the segment 71 against the stack, as well as to press roll 25 toward the cam 27.

It will now be seen that the rotation of the stripper segment 71is effected by the interineshing of the gears '66, 67 and 69, and a counterclockwise rotation of the driven-shaft 50 will impart a corresponding rotative movement to the se ment 71. The

bracket 60 carries the rotating stripper segment 71 and is pivoted loosely upon the shaft 50 for swinging movement, whereby the segment is permitted to bear yieldingly against the top sheet of the stack when in any of its various elevational planes; that is, the segment and bracket may 'ise or fall accordingly as the relative height of the paper stack lowers, due to the removal of sheets, oris raised due to the operation of the elevating mechanism.

The bracket 60 has a natural tendency to swing in a counterclockwise direction, but is limited in this movement either by the segment 71 bearing upon the paper stack, or the nose 64 ofthe bracket 60 abutting the stop 42. As the segment engages the top sheet of the stack, the bracket 60 will rise slightly, and any resistance ofi'ered to the removal of the sheet will tend to retard the rotation of the segment and thus result in the bracket 60 being forced downwardly in a counterclockwisedirection by reason of the gears 66, 67 and 68 having a tendency to be held against rotation by reason of the V resistance to the free rotation of the segment 71 thus encountered. The increased pressure thus brought to bear upon the segment will overcome the resistanceoffered bythe sheet and its removal effected by thus increasing the force tending to remove it. In

other words, any resistance offered by the.

sheet to be fed from the stack is overcome by a proportionate increase of pressure of the segmentupon the sheet.

The segment 71, in contacting-with and removing a sheet from the stack, also positions the bracket 60, which bracket is adapted to control the engagement of the elevating lever 19 and actuating cam 27, as will now be explained (see Figs. 3, 4, 4, and.5).. V

The cam 27, which is fixed to the shaft 50, as prev ously described, is provided with a curved recess 27 on its periphery. The

elevating lever 19 has its roll 25 normally in engagement with the periphery of the cam and-tends to follow the contour of the cam face. The recess 27 of the cam preferably is of such depth that the roll in traveling from the bottom of the recess to the outer periphery of the cam will move the lever 19 an angular distance,which is, sutlicient to rotate the ratchet-wheel one tooth.

At the time when the recess 27 of the cam 27 arrives beneath the roll 25, the stripping segment 71 is engaged with the top of the stack, as shown in Figs. 4 and 4 The swinging bracket 60 is thus held in an elevated position, depending upon the height of the stack. If the stack is sufficiently high, as in Fig. 4, the set-screw 62 abuts the stud 26 of the lever 19 and prevents the roller "25 from following into the lower part of recess 27 of cam 27. Consequently, the lever 19 will not swing far enough to engage pawl 24 with the suceeding tooth of ratchet 1G, and the stack will not be el evated. The roll 25 falls slightlylower in the recess 27 with the removal of each successive sheet until finally it falls to a point at or adjacent the bottom of the recess, as illustrated in Fig. 4, whereupon the lever 19 will be swung sufficiently to cause the pawl 28 to engage the next tooth on the ratchet-wheel 16 and thus rotate the wheel for elevating the platform and stack. While the parts may if desired, be so proportioned as to permit consequent raising of the platform a slight distance upon the removal of each sheet, it has been found in practice that the mechanism is capable of satisfactory operation within somewhat wider limits and that excellent results can be obtained by'so proportioning the parts as to render the elevating mechanism effective to raise the platfrom after the remo al of each fourth or fifth sheet instead of operating the same upon the removal of each sheet.

It is desirable to maintain the top of the sheet stack in a substantially constant relation with respect to the feeding and guiding mechanism, therefore, when the stack is below a predetermined level, the roll 25 is permitted to fall to the bottom of the recess 27 of the cam, as' in Fig. 4, and a subsequent raising movement is imparted to the lever 19 by the rise of the said cam recessagainst the roll. l/Vhen the stack is in an elevated position, and the segment engages the top sheet thereof, as in Fig. 4, the roll is prevented, as above described, from engaging the. bottom of the recess 27, and the subsequent raising'of the lever 19 is not sulficient to cause an elevating movement of the platform.

' in line with the segment 71.

' When the needle has been once placed in position relative to the stack of sheets, the

tension of the spring 38 acts to press the point of the needle into engagement with the sheets so as to engage several sheets and thus prevent the removal. of several sheets at one operation of the segment.

The shaft 45 on being driven imparts a rotary motion to the shaft 50 and the segment 71 in the direction of the arrows, as indicated. The segment strips or feeds the top sheet from the stack into the guides 55 and to the spools 48 and 52. These spools continue the feeding of the sheet within the guides, and from the said guides the sheet may be removed by the grippers of a wrapping machine or platen of a printing press, or otherwise disposed of. The segment engages the sheets successively, and as the stack is reduced in height sufliciently to require an elevation of the platform, the roll 25 is permitted to fall to the bottom of cam recess 27', in which case the cam acts upon the lever roll and imparts a suficient angular movement to the lever to rotate the ratchet 16 and result in an elevational movement of the platform. As the periphery of the segment 71 leaves the paper sheet, the lever 60 falls to its lowermost limit,-that is, its nose 64 abuts and is supported by the stop 42. Resistance in removing and feeding forward a paper sheet is overcome by an added pressure of the segment, as was previously explained Thus, sheets are removed and the plat-' form raised or lowered, as is required, the actuation of the elevating means being con trolled by the segment which contacts with and feeds the forward sheets.

It is obvious that many changes may be made in the device to adapt it to other uses without departing from the scope of the invention.

What we claim is 1. In a sheet-delivery mechanism, in combination, platform for supporting a stack of sheets, a stripper for engaging and removing the top sheet of said stack, a movable support for said stripper to permit the stripper to bear yieldingly upon said stock in removing a sheet therefrom, means including a swinging arm independent of said support for elevating said platform to maintain the stack with its top-most sheet in position to be acted upon by said stripper, and cooperating contact members on said arm and said support relatively positioned by move ment of the latter to control the operation of said platform elevating means.

2. In a'sheet-delivery mechanism, in combination, a platform for supporting a stack ofsheets, a rotating stripper having an intermittent engagement with the top of said stack for successively removing sheets therefrom, means including a feed member for elevating said platform to maintain the stack with its topmost sheet within the field of operations of said stripper, a movable support for said stripper to permit the stripper to bear yieldingly upon said stack in removing said sheets, and rigid meanscarried by said movable support and operative to coac t with said feed member when the stripper is bearing upon the stack and when the stack has been elevated'to a predetermined height to prevent the actuation. of said platform,

3. In a sheet delivery mechanism, in combination, a platform for supporting a stack of sheets, a rotating stripper having an intermittent engagement with the top of said stack for successively removing sheets therefrom, means including a swinging arm for elevating said platform to maintain ;the stack with its topmost sheet within the field of operations of said stripper, a driving shaft for said rotating stripper, a supportingmember for said rotating stripper pivotally mounted on said driving shaft to permit said stripper to bear yieldingly upon said stack in removing a sheet therefrom,

means positioned by said pivoted support when the stripper is bearing on the stack to coact with saidswinging arm to control the operation of said platform-elevating means, and driving connections between said driving-shaft and said rotating stripper constructed and arranged to cause said strippersupporting member to rotate with said driving-shaft and press said stripper morefirmly against said stack when any resistance is of fered to the rotation of said stripper.

4. In a sheet-delivery mechanism,in combination, a platform for supporting a stack of sheets a continuously driven shaft, a counter shaft driven therefrom, feed diskson said driven and counter shafts coacting to feed sheets between them, "a rotating segmental stripper for removing the top-most sheet from the stack and advancing it into the grip of said feed disks, a support for said stripper pivotally mounted upon one of said shafts for swinging movement thereabout to enable the stripper to be held by when undue resistance to the removal of said sheet is encountered.

5. In a sheet-delivery mechanism, in combination, a platform forv supporting a stack of sheets, a continuously driven shaft atone side of saidplatform, a feed disk on said shaft, a counter shaft above the first shaft and driven therefrom, a feed disk on said counter shaft adapted to coact with the first feed disk to feed sheets, an arm pivotally mounted on said'counter shaft for oscillation thereabout, a rotating stripper carried by said arm for removing the top-most sheet from; the stack and advancing it into the grip of said feed disks, gearing for driving said stripper from said counter-shaft, said gearing being constructed and arranged to swing said arm to increase the pressure of the stripper against the top-most sheet of the stack in proportion to the resistance offered by said sheet to its removal.

6. In a sheet-delivery mechanism, in com bination, a, platform for supportinga stack of sheets, a rotating stripper having an intermittent engagement with the top of said stack for-successively removing sheets therefrom, means including ratchet and pawl mechanism and a periodically oscillated pawl-carrier for elevating said platform to maintain the stack with its topmost sheet within the field of operation of said stripper, a driving shaft for said stripper, a support for said stripper pivotally mounted on said driving shaft to permit said stripper to bear yieldingly upon said stack in removing a sheet therefrom, means carried by said pivoted support and positioned when the stripper is bearing upon the stack to control the operation of said pawl-carrier and thereby to control the elevation of said platform.

7 .'In a sheetdelivery mechanism, in combination, a platform for supporting'a stack, of sheets, a rotating stripper having an in- I termittent engagement with the top of said stack for successively removing sheets therefrom, ratchet and pawl mechanism operatively connected with said platform for elevating the same, to maintain the stack with its topmost sheet within the field of operations of said stripper, an oscillatory car-;-

rier for said pawl, means for periodically actuating said pawl-carrier, means for dI'lVr ing said stripper, a pivotally mounted support for said stripper for enabling the latter to bear yieldingly upon said stack in reelevate said platform.

8. In a sheet-dehvery mechanism, in combination, a platform for supporting a stack of sheets, a rotating stripper having anjintermittent engagement with the top of said stack for successively removing sheets therefrom, ratchet and pawl mechanism operatively connected with said platform for elevating the same, to maintain the stack with its topmost sheet within the field of operations of said stripper, an oscillatory carrier for said pawl, an actuating arm on said pawl-carrier, a rotating shaft, a cam on said shaft for actuating said arm, means tending to hold said arm and cam in cooperative relation, a support for said stripper pivotally mounted upon said shaft to enable the stripper to bear yieldingly upon said stack in removing asheet therefrom and to elevate said arm during the removal of the sheet, a stop for limiting the downward movement of said support when said stripper is out of engagement with the stack, means for driving said stripper from said shaft, an abutment on said stripper support operative to engage'said actuating arm and move the same .out of cooperative relation with said cam when said stripper is bearing upon the stack and the top of the latter is above a predetermined elevation, but failing to engage said arm during the engagement of the stripper with the stack when the top of the latter is below said elevation, thereby permitting said pawl-carrier to be actuated to elevate said platform. I

- ELMER L. SMITH.

FREDERIC B. FULLER, 

